The Best Grills for Every Outdoor Setup, According to Our Tests

Best Charcoal Grill

Weber Performer Deluxe Charcoal Grill

$549 at Amazon $549 at Wayfair $580 at Crate & Barrel

The Weber Performer Deluxe is our top pick for charcoal grills thanks to its ease of use and convenient mobility. We love that the grill is built into the four-wheeled cart with a large prep surface that doubles as a cutting board and even a tilt-out charcoal storage bin (or trash can if you prefer). The sturdy design makes the large grill more portable and also extremely stable.

Lighting and controlling the flames are the most difficult parts of grilling over charcoal, but the Performer Deluxe automates the process with a push-button ignition system and easily adjustable dampers. "This remains one of my favorite charcoal grills," says Jennifer Zyman, Food & Wine Testing Editor. "It was one of my first grills, and the propane starter cuts heat-up time in half. I also love that it has built-in charcoal storage." Cleanup is a breeze, too, thanks to a built-in rod that sweeps ashes into the large, removable ash catcher. It was also good at cooking in testing, with stainless-steel grates that yielded nicely defined grill marks on our test steaks, with no troublesome sticking when it was time to flip the meat.

This is a simple grill for first-timers with charcoal, but it's also well-built and a solid option for more experienced open-flame cooks. It'll last you a lifetime, which it ought to: It was the most expensive charcoal grill we tested. Assembly is also a pain, with lots of pieces to put together. The brand's app has 3-D helpful instructions, but we wish that weren't necessary in the first place.

Fuel: Charcoal | Dimensions: 8 x 48 x 43.5 inches | Cooking area: 363 square inches | Weight: 91 pounds

Best Gas Grill

Weber Genesis E-325s 3-Burner Gas Grill

$849 at Wayfair $849 at Wayfair $849 at Wayfair

You'll find Weber grills of all types atop our lists of bests; the brand is well-known for its popular grills, and it lives up to its reputation. The Weber Genesis E-325s got rave reviews in our gas grill tests) for its large capacity and precision temperature control. During hours of grilling, heat levels remained nice and even with the lid closed, while the center "sear zone" stayed the hottest with the lid open, creating useful cooler zones for steady cooking while you get some nice browning on a reverse-seared steak.

The porcelain-enameled cast iron grates transfer heat beautifully to create those coveted grill marks but also minimize sticking. A fish fillet came off the grill cleanly both skin- and flesh-side-down, and we even got the best caramelized onions of all the models we tried. We were impressed with the rapid temperature response when adjusting the three burners, and the enormous 994 square-inch cooking surface can hold at least three dozen burger patties at once for a neighborhood Fourth of July barbecue. You'll feel sticker shock at the price, but we feel the Genesis E-325s is a great investment for anyone who loves to grill.

Fuel: Propane | Dimensions: 35.5 x 30.75 x 31 inches| Cooking area: 994 square inches | Weight: 175 pounds

Best Grill/Smoker Combo

PK Grills Original PK300 Grill and Smoker

$600 $525 at Amazon View on Pkgrills.com $600 at Home Depot

Grilling and smoking can use the same charcoal fuel, but they're very different cooking methods — the former is hot and fast, while the latter is low and slow. It's a rare model that can do both well, but with the PK300, a barbecue enthusiast won't have to invest in a separate smoker. The wide shape lets you arrange fuel under the entire grate for grilling or keep it in one corner away from the food for smoking. There are also four separate adjustable vents to control airflow and temperature. With the right setup, this vessel can sear, bake, roast, or smoke a pork butt to perfection.

If you're not an experienced charcoal griller, you might have trouble with the PK300. Getting the coals going and maintained at the correct level takes some fiddling. During our tests, we let the fire get too high at least once and overcooked a steak. Once you get over the learning curve, though, you'll be free to do as you please over the coals.

The PK300 isn't the most spacious grill on our list, but it does have the added benefit of being portable: You can lift the grill off its cart and bring it wherever it needs to go.

Fuel: Charcoal | Dimensions: 16.21 x 42.75 x 37.35 inches | Cooking area: 300 square inches | Weight: 60 pounds

Best Splurge

Traeger Timberline Wood Pellet Grill

$3,000 at Williams Sonoma $2,999 at Ace Hardware View on Bbqguys.com

Traeger grills are high-end favorites in general. With touchscreen controls, Bluetooth temperature probes, and Wi-Fi connectivity, the Timberline is one of the most high-tech Traegers on the market. Its wood pellet fuel adds delicious smoky flavor, but unlike with charcoal, you can dial in the temperature to within a few degrees and let the grill control itself automatically. The Timberline's vast 880 square inches of cooking surface can handle nine chickens, eight rib racks, or six pork butts. There's a bonus induction cooktop to the side that'll sear, sauté, simmer, or even sous vide.

We didn't name the Timberline best splurge for nothing. It's an entire outdoor kitchen all in one, and it clocks in at the highest price of any model in our entire set of grill tests — by a good margin. This grill may be a serious investment, but it’s a real gem for anyone who loves to cook outdoors. 

Fuel: Wood pellets | Dimensions: 51 x 59 x 25 inches | Cooking area: 880 square inches | Weight: 238 pounds

Best Pellet Grill

Weber Smokefire EX4 Pellet Grill

$1,100 at Amazon $1,015 at Walmart View on Weber.com

Pellet grills automate the process of managing the fire to combine the easy temperature control of gas with the tasty smoke flavor of charcoal. The Weber SmokeFire is an easy-to-use pellet model with some nice extras, including digital temperature controls, a pair of thermometer probes, and Wi-Fi connectivity to monitor them all via phone app. Its layered grates pack 672 square inches of space into a relatively compact unit that can be set anywhere from 200 to 600°F.

We got great control in testing between low smoking temperatures and the medium-high that's good for grilled chicken or thick burgers, but the SmokeFire had trouble maintaining the very top of its range for effective ultra-hot, ultra-fast searing. In the overall scheme of grills, it's also fairly expensive — but it's quite reasonable for a pellet model.

Fuel: Wood pellets | Dimensions: 33 x 43 x 47 inches | Cooking area: 672 square inches | Weight: 156 pounds

Best Electric Grill

Weber Q 1400 Electric Grill

$329 at Amazon $329 at Wayfair $329 at Walmart

Electric grills really can perform as well as gas or charcoal models, and the Weber Q 1400 is proof. This tabletop outdoor grill is ideal for small spaces, balconies, or buildings that ban open flames, with a legit-grilling maximum temperature of 600°F. It reached temperature quickly and consistently in our testing, and we got true searing and caramelization on steaks, chicken, and zucchini. Thanks to Weber's trademark porcelain-coated cast iron, the grates give excellent heat transfer and retention — with no gas tanks, charcoal ash, or even much smoke to worry about.

The downside of this or any electric grill is size. The Q 1400 is big enough to feed a small family, but it's nowhere near some of the monsters on our list. The short lid also limits what kinds of foods you can cook; a beer can chicken can't sit upright with the top closed, for example. You can cook low and slow, but there's no way to create any kind of smoker setup — although eliminating smoke is kind of the point of an electric grill.

Fuel: Electricity | Dimensions: 23.5 x 27 x 14.5 inches | Cooking area: 209.5 square inches | Weight: 28.5 pounds

Best Portable Grill

Cuisinart Venture Gas Grill

$170 $138 at Amazon $150 at Target $200 at Williams Sonoma

The Cuisinart Venture is a gas grill you can bring just about anywhere. With its integrated handle and wooden top/cutting board, it looks like a cute picnic basket. But once you fire it up, it can get to well over 600°F for nicely charred and grill-marked meats and veggies. The smartly designed grill has a hefty cast-iron grate, with a U-shaped burner powered by a camping-sized 1-pound propane tank that heats everything effectively.

The Venture aced our portable grill tests, turning out nicely charred onions, burgers, and buns alike. It's so easy to set up and use (and clean!) that it’s perfect for camping, tailgating, the beach, a park, or just your patio. As befits a portable model, though, this is a baby grill best for quick-cooking small items. You can't fit more than four burger patties at once, and the lack of a lid means there's very little temperature control.

Fuel: Propane | Dimensions: 13 x 16.25 x 10.75 inches | Cooking area: 154 square inches | Weight: 20 pounds

Best Kamado Grill

Kamado Joe Konnected Joe Digital Charcoal Grill and Smoker

$1,699 at Wayfair $1,699 at Home Depot View on Perigold.com

Originating in Japan, the kamado is a charcoal grill made of dense ceramic in a distinctive egg shape. By controlling the flow of air to the fuel in the bottom and adjusting the placement of the food above, you can achieve everything from slow-smoking to flame-charring.

Using a kamado grill is a little different than most other charcoal styles and can take some practice to figure out, but the Konnected Joe's smart functions take care of that for you. The digital controls can be set anywhere from 225 to 700°F via an onboard touchscreen or phone app. Then the grill lights the fire, monitors the internal temperature, and handles the ventilation settings automatically.

When we tested the Konnected Joe, we got excellent results roasting chicken wings, searing steak, and even baking a calzone. You can set its two-tier rack at different levels to cook different foods at the same time, to boot. It ran a few degrees hotter than it was supposed to, but that was consistent across temperatures so we could solve the problem by simply setting the temperature lower. Like all kamados, it's also very heavy; this model comes on a wheeled stand, but you're not going to want to move it around much after it's set up.

Fuel: Charcoal | Dimensions: 18 x 18.11 x 50.5 inches | Cooking Area: 250 square inches | Weight: 216 pounds